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On Resigning from Google

alphabetworkers.org

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Re: On Resigning from Google

#81

Post by shadowgovt »

replyguy912 wrote: post #63
shadowgovt wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's no doubt that working at Google + frugal living can give a rank-and-file engineer enough "fuck-you money" to make their own calls. I don't see that as a bad thing though. Just because it's not a liberty everyone has to stop working for a firm they find morally repugnant doesn't imply one shouldn't take the liberty if one has it.

Except they were there for 14 years. Unless it became instantly diametrically opposed to their belief system in the past couple of months, the author has put up with the changing environment for a long time. They're not some skill-less laborer; after all, they worked at google! they could get another job pretty easily, no, one with a company that shared their personal values?

The company has pivoted significantly in the past approximately three to five years (first with the founding of Alphabet, which resulted in Larry and Sergey stepping back from the helm, then with the appointment of Sundar as CEO). Some extremely unsavory things about the way the company operated at the top-tier management level during Larry and Sergey's years also came to light in that time period.

My wild guess is the author stuck around long enough to see if things would turn around and has become convinced they will not, and this is Alphabet's new trajectory as a compnay.

Re: On Resigning from Google

#82

Post by AcerbicZero »

shadowgovt wrote: post #17
AcerbicZero wrote: post #11

While I don't particularly agree with any of their points, (Seems a bit SJW-ish, mixed with some climate drama) at least they believe in them strongly enough to actually stop taking a paycheck from the company they've come to hate.

When you say SJW-ish in this context, do you mean you disagree with their assessment (i.e. helping oil companies do their job cheaper is bad, improving the technology underpinning combat drones is bad when the country that uses them demonstrates irresponsible use of them, supporting with labor a company that fires labor organizers is bad)?

I mean that they (the author) appears to hold politically and social positions, which trend towards a common cultural subgroup, colloquially known as SJW's, or "progressives". I'm not ascribing approval or disapproval to that group, and I'm not trying to drag any positive or negative connotations from the title.

I'm just pointing out that its rare to read an article where someone complains about the company they work for, and then stops working there. It was a refreshing change of pace.

Re: On Resigning from Google

#83

Post by paxys »

baddox wrote: post #69
paxys wrote: post #26

Random thoughts: 1. I applaud the fact that they are actually quitting the company to voice their disapproval of these policies. In my mind all the "internal activism" happening at Google and others is massively hypocritical. One cannot publicly criticize a company while enjoying cushy paychecks fueled by those very activities they despise. 2. If they think Google is discriminatory towards LGBT employees and minoriti…

Consider what happens if everyone who has a moral complaint about their employer immediately quits rather than staying around and attempting to chase the complaint up the management hierarchy and/or educate and organize other employees to voice the complaint. I think utilizing one's power as a worker and aligning other workers to increase workers' power is far from hypocritical. It's a great way (perhaps the only rel…

> Consider what happens if everyone who has a moral complaint about their employer immediately quits

This is in fact the quickest way to ensure that this behavior immediately stops

Re: On Resigning from Google

#84

Post by maps »

aaomidi wrote: post #61
JimboOmega wrote: post #21

The post talks about Google supposedly persecuting LGBTQ employees for speaking up. But the linked articles only talk about them (possibly) getting retaliated against for protesting other issues, like border security or sexual harassment. As an LGBT person (who does her fair share of activism), I'm not clear what the LGBTQ angle is here other than if the people involved happened to be LGBTQ. It seems like even if the…

LGBTQ+ activism doesn't just involve fighting for rights for people who fall within those labels. It has evolved onto fighting for rights of EVERYONE who is currently being harrassed, targetted, and discriminate against. It's activism for human rights for everyone. Not every LGBTQ+ activist agrees with this evolution, but a large group do. I'm personally in that group.

Yeah that is pretty disgusting. By doing this, it steals a label with a 'fairly' clear meaning, agenda, and history to prop up any old complaint. This is beyond disingenuous and actually will end up causing more harm to LGBT issues in the future.

Re: On Resigning from Google

#85

Post by basch »

umeshunni wrote: post #25
shadowgovt wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with these types of people is that they actually care about more than the paycheck. ;)

Then they should have said no to the paycheck earlier on rather than sucking on it for 14 years. As someone else said, just a bunch of whiny SJWs. Don't they have some caucus-voting app or something to go work on?

Maybe they believed they could make it a better company from the inside, and have finally given up?

If everybody good runs, whats left is no good.

Re: On Resigning from Google

#86

Post by xkemp »

bla3 wrote: post #2

> www.alphabetworkers.org/ > The trouble with deep belief > The reason it’s unlikely to work is that although you can persecute the prophets Sounds a bit full of themselves. They worked for a company, they no longer like the company, they quit. Great, move on. No need to make a big deal about it. It's just a job.

Quitting in protest really requires you to do it somewhat publicly if you want to maximize its impact. Losing one employee has some, but not much impact. But the publicity destroys a lot of goodwill among prospective employees and the general public, and might serve as an example for others (both at Google as well as others).

Besides, the protests over the last year or so have always attracted dozens of why-dont-you-quit-hot takes on HN, and seems only fair to let people know when their demands are met.

Re: On Resigning from Google

#87

Post by AcerbicZero »

rboyd wrote: post #15
AcerbicZero wrote: post #11

While I don't particularly agree with any of their points, (Seems a bit SJW-ish, mixed with some climate drama) at least they believe in them strongly enough to actually stop taking a paycheck from the company they've come to hate.

"hey, why are you leaving?" "imo the company makes its money in some really shady ways." "what's next for you?" "oh, I'm retiring.. made a lot of money here." ???

"hey, why are you complaining at every company meeting/company event?"

"imo the company makes its money in some really shady ways"

"oh so what are you going to do about it?"

"complain at the next meeting about the company...."

???

Re: On Resigning from Google

#88

Post by ardit33 »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #68
JimboOmega wrote: post #21

The post talks about Google supposedly persecuting LGBTQ employees for speaking up. But the linked articles only talk about them (possibly) getting retaliated against for protesting other issues, like border security or sexual harassment. As an LGBT person (who does her fair share of activism), I'm not clear what the LGBTQ angle is here other than if the people involved happened to be LGBTQ. It seems like even if the…

I think the claim is that Google is more willing to dismiss LGBTQ employees for these issues than others. However, it's also plausible that LGBTQ employees are more accustomed to having to fight for their rights and hence have trended to be amongst the "loudest" complainants?

I don't know about google, and can't say about direct experience, but almost every tech company I have worked, LGBTQ people were treated well, and in no way discriminated against, or at least in a visible way at least....

even amazon, was pretty equal about minorities and LGBTQ folks as they treated everyone equally crap....

Re: On Resigning from Google

#89

Post by aaomidi »

maps wrote: post #84
aaomidi wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

LGBTQ+ activism doesn't just involve fighting for rights for people who fall within those labels. It has evolved onto fighting for rights of EVERYONE who is currently being harrassed, targetted, and discriminate against. It's activism for human rights for everyone. Not every LGBTQ+ activist agrees with this evolution, but a large group do. I'm personally in that group.

Yeah that is pretty disgusting. By doing this, it steals a label with a 'fairly' clear meaning, agenda, and history to prop up any old complaint. This is beyond disingenuous and actually will end up causing more harm to LGBT issues in the future.

Okay thank you for your input.

We'll continue to fight for the rights of everyone who is being discriminated against.

You should learn more about intersectional activism :)

Re: On Resigning from Google

#90

Post by 75dvtwin »

What is the line between 'voicing your concerns' and sabouteuring the business you receive paycheck from ?

Why do the think inflating their own believes over the beliefs of others needs to be encouraged, funded and praised by the company they work for?

Did this person object when google fired James Damore Or is 'selective outrage', is the norm? May be it is the norm for Burce Hahne, but then, how this can be this be universally just?

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